DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar spoke to representatives of nearly 80 county and regional farmer groups.

They were pleased especially by Klobuchar's update on the federal farm bill, Paap said. The legislation under negotiation in Washington D.C. would end direct payments to farmers and replace them with expanded crop insurance and other protections.

Paap said Minnesota farmers are willing to make sacrifices.

"Agriculture is willing to take our share of the cuts, but we're not willing to take three times our share," Paap said. "Our message to elected officials was 'this budget cannot be balanced by simply cutting farm programs.'"

The leaders of congressional Agriculture Committees want to reduce agriculture spending by $23 billion over the next decade.